FIFA World Cup 2014

[Skybird]

Ghana played very well and on same eye level against Germans that showed the weaknesses in their defence that I were so sceptical about before the tournament.

Klose is incredible! The joker bites once again. How often has it gone right like this!? Klose in - goal. Bang! :rofl:

Buit the G ermna team was lucky to not get burried. This was a much tougher challenge, than Portugal. Ghana showed to be a very robust and athletic team. I'm impressed. And it nevertheless was a fair match, all in all.

What hopefully this draw will become is: to serve as a baptism of fire for the remaining tournament. The team has a problem in its defence, this should be clear now. Ghana showed how the German Blitz could be stopped and countered. Several teams with the needed talents and players in their rows will have watched with utmost interest. The defenders today would have been unable to stop Robben or van Persie.

Nice to see how popular the Germans are in Brazil, despite them being seen - correctly or not - as the biggest threat to the Brazilian team's ambitions - thank you Brazil for this attitude of sportsmanship.

FIFA could - and should - learn something from that. They are overregulating the game and now again the audience's allowed actions to a sterile and clinical state. No more bigger flags in stadiums? What impotent senile fat cat at a golden desk has had this idea?

Also, the shaving cream for the referees. Ridiculous. Refs not being able to ensure players follow their rules, have a much deeper laying problem with their lack of authority than that it could be solved with shaving cream sprayers. And some referee performances again, including the first two matches, were unacceptable again already. A tournament of this scale must be whistled by pros with a solid reputation, and not by political correctness and good-will quota-refs.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Skybird

...

Die Mannschaft hat Moral bewiesen.

They didn't stay compact after the first goal.
They gave too much room for Ghana.
Viel zu viele Ballverluste.
It's a warning shot of course.
The one positive aspect they can take out of this is that they were able to fight back, shows depth of character. Willenskraft.

I still think their defense is not as suspect as you make it out to be Skybird.
As i said above, they gave them way too much room, didn't play compact after the lead, and didn't have the killer instinct upfront.
Thye had clear chances and didn't convert. Unforgivable at this level of competition.
They have a lot of work to do for the USA game.

Ball possession was 59% to 41% for Germany.
They had more chances.
It should have been Germany that buried Ghana, not the way you described it.

[Skybird]

No, the defence got surprised very badly several times and also could not compete with the pace the Ghana players than showed, especially Höwedes and Mustafi were weak, very bad mistakes also were made repeatedly by Lahm and Götze.

This match could have ended very different - and easily so. They were lucky that Robben and the likes were not playing for Ghana - then there would have been more goals. With the match today having been on the edge of a razorblade, a more determined opponent offence probably would have cut them to pieces. If Germany had more ball possession, than this means that the Ghana team nevertheless needed less time to gain as many if not more solid goal chances than the Germans (sorry, that's how I counted it), and of at least equal quality. Halftime could have seen a 0:2 or even 0:3 already. And in both halves there were long phases when Ghana dominated. In second half, commentators on TV called them to play "wie entfesselt", and that is what they now write again, and it is true. Germany was closer to loosing this, than Ghana.

No, the Germans had this match not under control. But it was an interesting fight. And a fight it was for sure. Most dramatic match of the tournament so far, I think.

You are right, though, there was some moral to be seen. Quite some indeed. They remained unimpressed by the goals for Ghana, all game long they were occassionally very confused, but never really panicked. Good!

[mapuc]

Could it be that Germany and Argentina didn't expect their opponent to "Fight for honor" or whatever they were fighting for ?

The 2-1 goal did take the German defense by surprise.

Hope they will take USA serious and not just some easy 3 points

Markus

[Dan D]

Ghana played very well. They are the strongest team from the African continent.
The 4:0 against Portugal was a good start and gives the credit to make it pass the group round to the knock out round for Germany. I don't see Germany losing against the US team, may be a draw. If you have to meet Ghana, Costa Rica, Columbia, Croatia or Chile in the 1/8, then that would mean "praying", but for Germany the knock out round is first Russia, then France, then Brazil/Holland.

Geronimo!

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Skybird

No, the defence got surprised very badly several times and also could not compete with the pace the Ghana players than showed, especially Höwedes and Mustafi were weak, very bad mistakes also were made repeatedly by Lahm and Götze.

Agreed, Howedes was as slow as Molasses.
Khadira was ineffective, hence the second-half changes.

This match could have ended very different - and easily so. They were lucky that Robben and the likes were not playing for Ghana - then there would have been more goals

Not necessarily, see what Australia did to the Oranje, van Persie and Robben were nullified for most of the match.
Strikers are only as good as the supply balls. If they are not getting the through-balls, strikers of any class are not much and almost helpless.

Germany was closer to loosing this, than Ghana

Agreed, Germany lost it, most of Ghana's scoring and chances can be attributed to Germany's mistakes.
Self-inflicted really.

Originally Posted by mapuc

Could it be that Germany and Argentina didn't expect their opponent to "Fight for honor" or whatever they were fighting for ?

No, I will say of Germany that under no circumstances did they under-estimate Ghana. The coaching staff and players said in PK's that they need to be careful and play above themselves to beat Ghana.
They also said that Ghana play a much more physical game than Portugal, and they would shoot from any distance and make life difficult for them.
This was proven to be the case.
Germany didn't rest on their laurels after the Portugal game, as you know, Germans are very self-critical, and they admitted that after the Portugal game that there were mistakes made and still work to do.

Hope they will take USA serious and not just some easy 3 points

They take all their opponents seriously.
And being able to stick to the game plan and being allowed to by the opposition is one thing, but executing it, in oppressive heat and mistakes is another.

USA is not to be taken lightly, i have no doubt Germany will re-group (they need to), Joachim Low and co are meticulous in preperation, it will be a battle of wits, with Klinsmann and Low.
The understudy against former master.

[Platapus]

Germany v Ghana was a pretty exciting game. Enjoyed it a lot

[BossMark]

Well at least Roy Hodgson has finally worked out how to stop us getting knocked out on penalties.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mapuc

Could it be that Germany and Argentina didn't expect their opponent to "Fight for honor" or whatever they were fighting for ?

The 2-1 goal did take the German defense by surprise.

Hope they will take USA serious and not just some easy 3 points

Markus

I don'T think so, the German coach said he expected them to be extremely strong and also to play very athletic. He was right with both. I like their team. It'S a really good one.

Also, they already started with their backs against the wall after their defeta in match one. So they had to put their heart into it.

The match against the uSA is the duel between Klinsmann and Löw, the former boss and his former assistant. They know each other very well - and that is what will make this meeting quite - interesting, maybe... But I have no idea about the quality of the current American players in their cadre.

[Jimbuna]

This is beginning to look like the most open World Cup I can remember...I honestly can't pick a favourite from at least 4-6 of the teams.

[kranz]

Pick Ghana.

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Skybird

The match against the uSA is the duel between Klinsmann and Löw, the former boss and his former assistant. They know each other very well - and that is what will make this meeting quite - interesting, maybe... But I have no idea about the quality of the current American players in their cadre.

Really makes for a great storyline. Kinda like wrestling, except the match isn't fake.

As for our quality, I believe we were ranked 13 overall, a higher ranking than I expected due to only a small minority here really liking the sport, coupled with the fact you cannot saturate the matches with commercials, means little sponsorship, hence less TV time, and money for teams and players. Less TV deals, etc


Although Klinsmann kinda said the USA was not going to get far when asked, the comment was spun by some sources to paint him out like he was a jerk, when he was simply being blunt and honest.

I expect Germany to manhandle us. But we will surprise you guys if you treat it like an easy "w"

Good luck! Have fun!

Algeria is really taking advantage of Korea...2-0

[Skybird]

German team manager Oliver Bierhoff today said in an interview that one should not expect anythign special from the relation between the two coaches, because nowadays players and treams are so international and team spotting and scouting the rival'S tactics is so common place that there are hardly any secrets anymore. Even more so when players are so mu7ch in the international spotlight like those of the German team.

Heck, they even use small, publicly available drones now to observe the training of teams in locked stadiums.

Bierhoff probably is right, and I changed my mind on my former statement. More or less it probably will be a match like any other, with the mutual knowledge between Klinsmann and Löw playing no special role. Man kennt sich halt - na und?

[soopaman2]

Algeria is starting to put up a baseball score.

The Korean gentlemen are kinda on the small side. Not flinging stereotypes around or being a jackass (not today at least) But they are kinda short and it is killing them. Watching them trying to slide tackle is almost embarassing.

[mapuc]

To Feuer Frei! and Skybird thank you for your explanation. I however was thinking about the psychological aspect in the minds of the German players

cause its there and it doesn't matter how professional their are.

In my opinion there was no doubt, that some of the players, saw players from Ghana as little men, which was just a little road bump on their way to the final.


Here's a story from a international football match I saw for about 23 years ago in my former hometown and I stil remember it. Cause this football match wrote history.

The team from A entered the field and so did players from F.

The way players from team A played it looked like they were saying to players from team F "see here peasants, this is how you play football" they (Team F) showed a lot of ignorance

Then the Team F scored and a certain panic was spreading among the players from Team A and suddenly their play collapsed.

The match ended 1-0 to Team F

Markus